Patience
by Kyo12591
Summary: One had to let fate take it's course. He had to say he would wait forever for her if he needed to, but he also had to say he hoped he didn't have to. The story of how Naruto Uzumaki proved fate wrong.  One-shot


**I write one-shots to escape writing chapters for my other fic's honestly and just to get a certain feeling, or idea out of my mind or chest for the time being before it comes back full force while writing a chapter for one of my chapter-ed fic's and messes up the plot. So I learn to enjoy my one-shots because they are really fun to make and they let me be poetic as hell. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto unfortunately. If I did each chapter would have Sakura in it, and the entire story would be non-massacre with Shisui and all. **

_**Note: I'm tempting to at least write a good one-shot for each guy I like with Sakura, though I have never been a NarutoXSakura fan I have written a few team seven fic's and even one fic that was a NarutoXSakura one-shot but eh I think I'll try to better that one fic, I've been in a weird mood lately so if the writing seems odd for me, then my bad. **_

_**Wish me luck ne?**_

_** ~~ Patience~~ **_

_**XXXXxxXxxXXxxXxxXXxxXxxXXXX**_

_~ I would wait for you as long as you needed me to...~_

It had been a long hard road for them both when Sasuke abandoned them. Team seven was broken up, Naruto and Sakura tried their very best to return what was stolen from them, Sasuke however didn't want to return. They made excuses for years for him, try after try to bring him back to them, to be with them like days of old. It however hit Sakura the most when he had left Naruto knew because he had always known Sakura loved Sasuke. A universal truth like the sky was blue, and the day will come as surely as night, so was the fact Sakura loved Sasuke.

He had left them both, but had broken her heart, and for that even as his best friend, Naruto wouldn't forgive Sasuke for. He had tried his best to bring Sasuke back year after year, with no luck, and they had ignored the whispers about Sasuke's betrayal, they had ignored the side remarks that they were going to such great lengths to bring back a _traitor_.

They ignored those comments but, they still heard them, it still affected them. Sasuke had ignored them, left them, hated them, tried to kill them, and they had kept on trying to bring him back regardless, until one day it was just too much anymore.

They had stopped trying to find him, they stopped trying to find someone whom obviously didn't want to return, obviously didn't want them as they needed him, so they stopped needing him to return and they tried their best to move on in life, never forgetting, but trying to.

They would never be the same. Kakashi blames himself, Sakura blamed herself, Naruto blamed himself. One person had broken them all so completely it was heart shattering. The entire village looked at them in pity, and they made sure they would not be pitied, they became a force to be reckoned with, they became the village's strength, but everyone remembered their one weakness.

Naruto tried his best to complete his goal never giving up, and Sakura got stronger the most beautiful Kunoichi he had ever met, the most skilled Kunoichi in the village, the most talented Medic in history, and she had proved her worth, but it wasn't enough for her. She got into ANBU as had he, serving Tsunade personally to help watch Sakura though, she could protect herself, Sakura was the only one he had left.

Naruto had never stopped loving her, and he had never wanted anything more then to make her smile again like she use to, but she only ever smiled like that when Sasuke had been around.

Naruto heaved a sigh.

He wanted to be the one she could rely on, he wanted to be the one she smiled for, smiled because of, he wanted her to have a happy life, and they both knew Sasuke would never return, that they had to move on with their lives or be left behind in Sasuke's shadow. The shadow of a forgotten memory, of a traitor.

He didn't care _who_ she was happy with, as long as she _was_ happy. As long as she was happy.

They tried their best they did, to live like normal Shinobi, like normal ANBU, like normal people, but it all seemed for nothing to them both, so broken they had been.

He glanced at the door from upside down across his bed, the door, upside down as it was, rattled on it's frame with the force of the knocking. It was four am, who was knocking on his door? He heaved himself upright and walked to the door rubbing a hand over his face, he was tired, but he hadn't sleep at all. His thoughts always took him at night when he was alone, took him back to where he had failed her. He hadn't slept well since Sasuke left, and neither had she. She had thrown herself into work at the hospital, work in ANBU, and work, any work, she could be given, keeping herself so busy that she couldn't focus on anything but her work, that is until she returned home, and like him her thoughts filled her mind at night and the pain came roaring back fresh and new, all over again.

He jerked the door open harshly glaring at the figure then his eyes widened and he tensed.

" What-" he was cut off as the pink haired bundle was shoved into his arms by the distressed looking Kiba. Akamaru whined at his masters side, obviously not liking his masters treatment of the girl who was so obviously drunk it was painful to see. Naruto caught the girl and lifted her quickly in his arms, it was no trouble she was so light it sometimes scared him. A dark blush from the alcohol was spread across her face, she looked up at his with jade eyes clouded but she knew who he was, and where she was, he could see the pain.

He had tried drinking to stop the pain as well, but he had learned it did no good, you remembered it again the next night, the next day, drinking couldn't make you forget only shove it back so it doesn't matter for a while, but Sakura had taken to drinking some nights, just to sleep through the pain, which was always much worse for her. Sasuke had left them both, but he had broken Sakura's heart, knocked her out, and refused all she offered before he went.

" I found her with Neji at the bar again." Kiba said nodding to Sakura. Neji was the ANBU captain, and was almost always with Sakura now a days as if he was as well worried about her more so then usual. Naruto could see her slowly breaking, knew if he didn't do something, anything she couldn't go on much longer, she had dealt with this pain far too long refusing them all, refusing to bare her pain to even him.

" Thanks Kiba." Naruto said nodding to the male. Kiba nodded himself and took one look back at Sakura before shaking his head with a sigh and leaving. Kiba had been the one to always bring her to him when she was drunk, for some reason Sakura got violent when anyone else tried to carry her except Kiba, though Kiba didn't find it odd, something about animal instinct or something, and she trusted Neji, but Neji was usually just as drunk since he was the one that followed her to the bar to make sure she never went home with random people in that state, though Naruto always wondered what use he was if he was just as smashed.

Kiba and Akamaru left and Naruto shut the door with his foot carrying her to his bed he laid her down and then laid on his back next to her.

" It's not going to help." he said softly as she crossed her arms over her own flat stomach, she sighed heavily.

" I know." She said and turned her body so her head rested on his chest, he wrapped an arm around her and held her close.

These moments he lived for, just to be pressed to her side, just for her to trust him enough to let him in, to share the pain with her. For her to share anything with him since that betrayal of their third member was rare indeed.

He wondered why they needed Sasuke so desperately to be happy. Since he had betrayed them neither of them had been happy, and when he had been with them they had been like any other teammates in Konoha. Had Sasuke stayed and never betrayed them would they both be happy now?

Why was it Sasuke who had to make them happy? Sasuke was not happy himself, he was a miserable person and they both had seen it, and yet why was it that when he left they had instead become miserable instead?

" Why do you drink then?" Naruto asked smoothing her pink hair from her jade eyes that looked up at his gray ceiling with pain and sorrow. The alcohol still worked her system but she was still well aware of that pain inside. She sighed softly.

" It's better then doing nothing while my mind keeps returning to that night, those years..." She shook her head.

" He didn't leave because of you." Naruto said suddenly interrupting her, knowing that she had always refused to talk about this with him, he wasn't sure why she was talking about it now after all these years of refusing him access to her mind, to her feelings, and mainly to her heart.

" He left because I couldn't stop him." She said her voice hard and angry. He yanked her hair and she glared at him at the sudden pain, but didn't say a word at him not to, or yell at him for the inflicted pain by pulling on her long hair. Hair she had kept long because he had asked her to not because she kept it long for Sasuke, but he had always wondered if that was one of the reasons she did keep it long.

" He left because he's an idiot and he couldn't control his anger." Naruto said harshly pulling on her hair, pulling her hair so she would look into his eyes and face this discussion, so she could see she wasn't alone, to see his pain, to see his words and understand them.

So she would see him.

" He left because he's an asshole who couldn't see what he had all along." Naruto said bringing his face closer to her, his eyes angry and hers not surprised only staring, blank, sad.

" He left because he's a jackass who's going to get himself killed killing his only brother and who will he have to turn to if he succeeds? No one. He'll be alone and he has only himself to blame." He growled low in his throat tears filling his eyes.

" I won't let you do this to yourself anymore. He's not coming back and we can't keep waiting for him Sakura. We can't keep living like this. I won't allow it anymore." Those tears in his eyes startled her into tears as well. Her soft lips trembled and he sighed softly.

" I'm sorry." He said and laid his forehead to hers. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.

" Hinata loves you." He jerked at the sound of her voice or maybe at the words themselves she had spoken. He wasn't sure why she said them but as soon as he moved back to peer at her she twisted away from him onto her back and laid her hands over her muscled stomach again. Her position she had been in earlier. Those tears she was hiding again from him, her pain she was hiding, she was so clearly changing the subject. Maybe it hurt to much to talk about this. Maybe she always had to be the strong one and not show anyone her pain, even him. He allowed the change.

" I know." He said this time. She closed her eyes and lay there silently. He wondered why she brought that up so suddenly though. He knew she was just trying to change the subject, by why with _this_ subject?

" If you want to move on and be happy then be with Hinata. She's been after you since she saw you and if your happy, I'll be happy." He closed his eyes as he turned his face to the ceiling like she was. His chest twisted in pain. She was telling him to love Hinata because she would never love him. She was rejecting his feelings like she always had. He flinched but didn't say a word to her words, and she fell into silence.

" Who will you be happy with?" He asked softly in that silence. He wondered if she had fallen asleep because he had been quietly laying with her for half an hour now in this silence.

" Does it matter?" She asked in return and he almost jumped at the sound of her voice.

" Yes." She sighed and he opened his eyes blue as the sea to look over at her surprised that she was looking up at the ceiling, his ceiling, with those jaded emerald eyes.

" I don't know. Who would want me?" She asked. He sighed again. He liked that he could talk to her, that she was finally willing to talk to him, but why did the conversation turn to this? Why this topic and why was she being so cruel with his feelings?

" Sakura." He said his voice almost harsh, he paused and rained in that unexpected anger.

" Who knows really who it will be. Maybe I'll marry Neji and with you with Hinata we could be related." He snorted. Like he ever wanted to be related to her like that. He rather marry her not be linked through marriage to someone else into the same family.

" Yeah Neji would be trilled at that." Naruto said sarcastically. She actually chuckled as if he had amused her.

" He doesn't stick around watching me drink myself silly every night because he hates me Naruto." Naruto jerked his head in her direction and wondered if she was right. He hadn't thought much about _why _Neji went with her to the bars, he figured he went because he was worried about her not that he could have feelings for Sakura and want to be with her to make sure she wasn't hurt.

Of course Naruto had always been bad when it came to seeing other people's feelings, more so when it was a romantic feelings, as everyone could tell, with the fact Hinata had so obviously loved him for years and he hadn't known it until the girl herself had told him, and he had never even suspected it. Of course, he hadn't been looking for it either. He was the nine tailed fox after all, why would he know what love was when no one had loved him his entire life?

" I guess I figured for the same reason Kiba always picks you up and drops you here when your smashed." Naruto said gruffly, angry at himself for never noticing the Hyuuga liked her that way, also angry that Sakura was even thinking of returning Neji's feelings when she so obviously knew Naruto loved her and always ignored his feelings, couldn't she do the same with Neji?

" Which is what?" Sakura asked. Naruto frowned at her words. Which is what, what?

" Why does Kiba pick me up?" She asked obviously seeing his confusion. Naruto frowned and thought that over.

" Because you won't let anyone else take you anywhere when your drunk." She smirked slightly as if that was amusing.

" Because Kiba just happens to be around when that time comes?" Sakura asked. Naruto frowned.

" Do you think we wake him up in the middle of the night or go get him just to take me home? How do you think he gets there?" She asked with a strange sort of smile. He wasn't sure he had ever seen that sort of smile from her so he wasn't sure what type it was.

" He was there from the start Naruto. Kiba is just like Neji he's worried about me. Though for different reasons. He's there because he loves Hinata." Naruto choked. Kiba did? Why didn't he know that, wait, never mind he never knew anything like that anyway. Sakura obviously was telling him such because she was still lose enough from the alcohol to say it.

" Kiba's always there because Hinata is always there, Hinata's there because Neji is with me." Naruto thought about that curiously. So Kiba was there because Hinata was at the bar, because Neji was with Sakura? Was Hinata worried about Neji or Sakura?

" So why does Kiba always take you home, or rather here?" She smirked.

" Because he figures if he takes me to you enough when I'm drunk that I'll eventually give into your sexy charms and then he'll have Hinata." Naruto jerked, his heart stopped at the sound of her calling him sexy even if she wasn't really.

" So you only letting him take you home was a lie?" Naruto asked ignoring the fluttering in his stomach and the thump of his heart.

" No it was truth. I know Neji's too drunk off his ass to take me anywhere, unless it involves my clothes being taken off, and Kiba's always there and he's sober and always so obviously wanting to bring me to you. I figured I'd amuse him and his little plans." Naruto snorted. Of course only Kiba would do such a thing. No wonder Kiba was so rough with her. He was getting tired of having to keep taking her to Naruto's house and Naruto never doing anything with her, thus he had to keep doing it and his plan was so obviously failing.

" Is Hinata upset?" Naruto asked curiously wondering if there was a way to get Kiba and Hinata together. If Hinata was with Kiba then Sakura would have to find someone else to be with Naruto, hopefully herself. She said she wanted him happy, and obviously he couldn't be happy alone.

" Hinata knows you better then you know yourself Naruto. She's loved you for so long it doesn't matter to her what you do with who as long as you eventually let her stand with you at your side." Naruto sighed. What devotion.

He wasn't going to date Hinata just because the girl loved him, if that was the case then Sasuke would have married Sakura despite the fact he didn't love her and never would. There would be no point and eventually Naruto would make Hinata sad because he didn't love her. In a marriage there was to be love and if there was none then there was really no point at all.

" Are you going to be with Neji then?" Naruto asked curiously wanting the subject off him and the Hyuuga girl. He wouldn't be with her and the sooner she realized that the sooner she was with Kiba and the sooner he was given a chance with Sakura, finally.

Sakura stared up at the ceiling with those beautiful jade eyes and smirked slightly.

" Who knows. Maybe it'll be fun." She twisted again until she was sitting up her long hair had fallen out of it's band and tumbled over her rumbled clothes. Her hair was a mess of water fallen pink blossoms.

" You can't play with someone like him Sakura. If your even going to consider it you know your going to be forced into his tight ass clan."

She laughed softly and walked to his front door, his only door out in his tiny apartment.

" I know. Make sure you spend time with Hinata, I think you'll find you like her more then you think." She smiled back at him. He was surprised she rarely smiled anymore. What if she could be happy with out him? What if she would be happy with Neji? Would she be happy if he ended up with Hinata?

He watched her leave and wondered if it would be the last time he would see her, he wondered if this would be the first and last time she would ever open up to him, he wondered if she would actually be with Neji and with that end his hopes and dreams of begin with her.

He wondered if this was the last time he would see her smile at him like that. He had a bad feeling he would only ever see her walk away from him like she was as she shut the door to his apartment behind her.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

So until he was with Hinata, Sakura would keep drinking? Keep this up until he was happy then she would make her move with Neji? Is that what she planned?

Naruto scowled as he watched her0. from across the bar, in a shadowed corner that is so he could watch and not be seen.

He came here to see for himself if it was worth handing her over to Neji. He wanted to see for himself if the Hyuuga loved her because he certainly had never seen much of any emotion from Neji stick-up-his-ass- Hyuuga.

If Neji did love Sakura then Naruto would maybe hand her over if she was happy, because obviously Sakura didn't even think of him as a possible lover or anything except a friend and brother. He didn't want to be related to her, he wanted to marry her. Why didn't she see that? Or maybe she did see and she was ignoring it.

Why couldn't they just sit down and talk this out. If he knew why she didn't want him maybe then he could give up, love her from a distance but stop trying so hard to make her love and want him. If she just told him why she kept ignoring his feelings, why she refused him so much. Then maybe they could both move on with their lives.

Maybe they would stop being so miserable. Sakura waiting for Sasuke, Naruto waiting for Sakura. It was obvious Sasuke would never return for her, and thus it was also obvious Sakura would never turn to Naruto. So why did he bother anymore? Because he still loved her, and he needed her even if she didn't want to need him, she did.

The only way they could move on is with each other, because they are the only people who can understand this pain, this betrayal, this need to be closer to their only remaining teammates, the need not to be abandoned. Sakura understood Naruto, and Naruto understood Sakura. So why couldn't she just be with him?

Was it Sasuke? Did she not want to be with him because she still hoped Sasuke would return? Did she just not like him in the same way? Did she only think of him as a brother? Did she have any feelings for Neji? She was willing to be with him she had said, so did she just like that stick-up-the-ass type of man? He just couldn't understand why she did what she did. He understood her feelings, but he couldn't understand her actions.

If Sakura would just talk to him about all this he wouldn't be in this bar watching her drink herself silly with the Hyuuga at her side downing _Sake_ as if he desperately needed it. Maybe his heart ached for her as much as Naruto himself's did. Maybe Neji Hyuuga did love her and was feeling the same things he did when Sakura ignored his love.

Sakura looked so beautiful sitting there in her black clothes. She still had her long lab coat of white on as if she had just got off hospital shift. She was flushed with a soft pink after seven shots of _Sake. _She held her liquor fairly well, after all she had drank like this for almost two years every night.

Her long hair was twisted up and was falling down her back and along her bare neck and face now, it had obviously been ruffled during work thus why it looked so messy, but so sexy, at the moment. Her jade eyes were dark maybe from the darkness of the bar, or maybe from the alcohol relaxing her body. Her face flushed and her lips were inviting. He noticed of course, but he could tell everyone else noticed at as well. Every male looking her way, including the one at her side.

She either didn't notice, or didn't care as she crossed perfectly shaped legs bare almost completely except for the shorts that clung to her like Lee's green spandex. The black was tight against her thighs in an almost tantalizing way, and her shirt was black and looked almost too tight. She usually wore her chest strapped down while working but obviously before she came she had unwrapped them to breathe. They strained against the almost too small shirt.

Naruto swallowed a glass of water quickly trying to cool the spike of fire burning him inside out. Now he wished he had been drinking as well, but he didn't want to be drunk, and he wasn't going to drink even if Kyuubi gave him an incredible tolerance to Alcohol. He could drink as much as Tsunade and have it through his system in two hours. He could get drunk, but he saw no point.

She sat there looking like a goddess and he could do nothing but watch her like all the rest because he knew that was why he came here. He didn't come here to seduce her, kami knows he wanted to try, but he didn't want her to be with him because he seduced her, he wanted her to be with him because she loved him.

She leaned over across the bar and placed her hand on Neji's thigh a ripple passed down his body and he turned dark silver eyes to her. He couldn't hear what she said in the noise of the bar, but he could see Neji's questioning eyes.

Neji face was lightly dusted from the alcohol but Naruto could see that the red crossing his face now wasn't from drinking it was an uncharacteristic blush. Naruto frowned. Was he wrong? Was Sakura making the move now? Wasn't she going to wait? If she wasn't going to wait he had no chance to turn Hinata in Kiba's direction.

Naruto felt panic rise. He didn't want Sakura to be with anyone else. If Sakura turned to Neji then it would be all over. He didn't want, couldn't allow, that.

Naruto could though tell Neji Hyuuga at least found Sakura attractive. He was blushing, and Neji rarely blushed for any reason. Was Sakura trying to Seduce Neji? She wouldn't would she?

Sakura's mouth moved quickly though smoothly as she spoke to Neji, he kept his eyes on her mouth because obviously even he was having trouble hearing her so he was lip reading, or maybe he just wanted to watch those inviting lips of hers. Either way.

Her hand hadn't moved from his thigh but it had moved up just a bit in a way Naruto found uncomfortable and obviously Neji did as well because he shifted in his seat almost like a impatient child.

" I didn't think she would go after Neji." Someone said in his ear. He jumped and turned quickly to see Kiba had taken a seat next to him in the shadow's of the bar, obviously he would be here as well as Hinata was here somewhere, he hated to think she was here by herself with out anyone to guard her she was a girl and she was in a bar after all she needed some protection. Maybe Kiba was guarding her and figured he would chat with him as he spotted him.

" Why?" Naruto asked curiously. Did he not know Neji liked Sakura? Or could he tell Sakura just didn't like Neji that way?

Kiba snorted and since he was so close Naruto could hear it.

" Are you serious? Tenten's been after Neji for years. I figured it was a girls rule not to go after a friends crush." Naruto's lips turned down into a deep frown. Sakura would know all this stuff obviously, and if it was clear to Kiba, it was clear to everyone else that Tenten liked Neji thus Neji himself had to know and since he liked Sakura, Tenten was in a similar boat to Naruto himself.

Was everyone in this village in a three way love triangle or what? This was just ridiculous.

" So then why would Sakura go after me when Hinata likes me?" Naruto asked returning Kiba's question for one of his own. Kiba stiffened and made a face. Obviously now aware Sakura had been talking to Naruto, or that Naruto was smarter then he looked and found out himself.

Naruto may not know much about romance or love, but he wasn't an idiot. He planned to be Konoha's Hokage after all, he couldn't be an idiot if he was going to rule over an entire village. He wanted to make this place better after all.

" Sometimes women know what would be better for the other then they themselves know." Kiba said quickly. Naruto smiled.

" So your saying I'm not good enough for Hinata, but I'm good enough for Sakura? I'm not sure I should be insulted or if Sakura should be." Kiba sighed as if he hadn't meant to insult anyone.

" Look Kiba. I don't care either way who likes who, but I can't make Hinata happy, and I know it will only hurt her in the future. I love Sakura, but I know that if she's happy then it won't matter who it's with. So I'll leave Hinata up to you." Kiba looked surprised maybe because he figured Naruto wouldn't have realized that Kiba liked Hinata, or because he was being so straightforward now.

" Going to seduce Sakura? If you are you may want to before she gets in over her head with Neji." Kiba said nodding his head to the two figures at the bar. Sakura's hand was still in place on Neji's thigh but she was speaking still to him, as if they were having an intelligent discussion not flirting. Maybe they were.

" Do you think she'll let me even try?" Naruto asked with a harsh laugh. Kiba snorted.

" I would be an idiot if I didn't notice that Sakura's the most comfortable when she's with you. If anyone could seduce her it would be you." Kiba said and stood. He stretched his arms over his head and then turned his head to the back of the bar. Obviously that's where he was keeping Hinata.

" I won't let you hurt her, but I know that this is better for her then being with you when you love Sakura. I'll protect her from now on, so don't worry yourself." Kiba said. Naruto nodded. Kiba wanted Hinata and Naruto wanted Sakura. Neji was just out of luck.

Naruto could see that at least Neji wanted her, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. Only his love was good enough for Sakura. He decided that a long time ago and would always think that, thus no other man would be with her, because Naruto could never allow it.

_~ ….but I have never been a patient man.~_

Naruto stood as Kiba walked away. He walked to the flushed pinkette and took her by the arms and she obviously not drunk enough to not know his chakra didn't fight. She actually relaxed her head thumping against his chest as he lifted her into his arms bridal style.

" Sorry Neji." Naruto said though he wasn't sorry at all. Sakura sigh deeply closing her eyes as she was carried out of the bar. It was almost too silent outside after all the noise inside the bar, the music and chatter.

" What are you doing?" She asked softly sounding tired and not at all drunk. He wondered why with him she was almost always close to sober when she was with anyone else she was drunk off her ass.

He looked down at her with a strangled sound. Kami she looked so eatable.

" I'm going to seduce you." He said straight out. She sat in his arms as he carried her for a long silence. Her eyes were wide then she clucked her tongue.

" I suppose." She said. He laughed. She said that as if she was put out by the very idea but would allow it.

" I'm sorry Sakura, but I wasn't asking permission. I'm going to seduce you and then your going to be mine and we'll be happy no matter what." She chuckled.

" You talk way too much Naruto." She said softly and reached up and brushed bangs from his cheek. His blond hair was wild, but soft.

" Then I'll just show you what I want to say." Her lips tilted.

" You'll just have to live with me being your lover now won't you." Naruto said fed up with her ignoring his feelings. Strangely she didn't seem very upset that he was taking this into his own hands.

" I figured it would have to be you or Kakashi. I sure am not going to be with Sai." Naruto made a face.

" I'd hope I would be picked at least over Kakashi-sensei." He said as they reached her house. She shrugged softly.

" Well you know. I figured you would be happier with Hinata and Kakashi seems so lonely." Naruto snorted.

" He's not lonely he has his pervy books." Sakura laughed.

" Alright then it seems I have no choice but to be with you then since you won't let me be with anyone else." He nodded.

" You'll have to put up with me." She smiled and laid her head on his chest her face against the fabric of his shirt. He smelled like forest and something wild, something like a animal of the wild would smell like she was sure. She figured that scent would only ever be his because of the Kyuubi inside him.

" I already do." She said.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxX ~~Time Skip!~~XxXxXxxXxxXxxXXxX**

" Why do I have to Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked with a sigh. She scowled at him.

" Your the one who flung stuff everywhere your going to clean it up." Naruto sighed and went to do as he was told to clean up her room.

" Do I even want to know whats going on here?" The figure in the door way asked covered from head to toe in black, at least he wasn't wearing what he had been when he came back.

She snorted.

" Leave it to Naruto to think he can make a mess out of our bedroom and not clean it up, come on in Sasuke." He snorted and walked into their house. He had returned a year ago today. He walked back into their lives like he had been with them all along, and they had let him not because they forgave him, but because they were both sick of being miserable, and sad because of him.

He had at least tried to do his best to be forgiven, to make it up to them. He had spent almost every day with them since his return making up for the time he had lost. He had returned, but he had not returned because he had killed his brother, he had returned because he had heard that Sakura and Naruto were getting married. He didn't believe it and had returned to find out himself.

And yet it was true. Both his friends had finally moved on and decided to be together, and he had returned because he didn't want to keep trying to kill someone who obviously wasn't ready to die just yet. He wasn't strong enough he realized. He was also sick of getting almost raped every day and night by his now ex-teammate Karin.

Sasuke sat on the tan colored furniture. She stood hand on hip as she stared at the ceiling waiting for Naruto to come down after he cleaned. They both heard a few curses and a lot of movement and then Naruto walked down the stairs with a sly grin as he immediately came to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Sasuke felt a strange sort of twist in his gut at the sight but didn't speak up on it. He had felt panicked at the news that Sakura and Naruto were moving on in life with out him, as he had tried to do with them. Or maybe he was just shocked Sakura had decided to move on herself.

Naruto placed curved lips against her bare neck, her hair was up again today. It was summer after all and just too hot with all her long hair to keep it down.

Sasuke watched her lips tilt up into a small smile. She was happy. Naruto was happy. Sasuke figured then he could be happy, and he would have to make things up to them both. Naruto's hand around her waist curved to her stomach. Sasuke made a face. He always hated when Naruto felt her up, it was his wife after all, but Sasuke didn't have to like it.

" Mine." Naruto growled softly against her neck, though Sasuke heard the faint possessive word. He huffed. He wasn't going to try to steal Sakura from him if that's what he thought. He wasn't that desperate, _just yet_.

" So have you found someone yet Sasuke?" Sakura asked ignoring her husbands demanding kisses against her neck, and trailing hands over her stomach.

Sasuke made a face at her, but she smiled none the less as if his glaring no long bothered her as it had once before when they were so much younger. Of course she was no long a child, she was a beautiful woman, and they would never be children again.

" No." He said with a twitch of eye.

" He can't help it Sakura, he's just sore that I got to you first." Naruto said against her neck peaking his blue eyes filled with amusement to Sasuke who's eye twitched more because Naruto was right.

" I'm sorry Sasuke. He simply seduced me." Sakura said as if that helped make up for that fact at all, it didn't. He snorted.

" The dobe seduced you? Are you sure?" Sasuke asked not really believing Naruto could do anything of the sort. But a glint in Naruto's eyes made Sasuke slightly unsure if that were true. When had these two changed so very much? Naruto was not such an idiot anymore, not dead last. He was Hokage now. And Sakura? Sakura had gotten so much stronger then he ever realized she could. A medic at that, and married to the Hokage. He felt like he had been the one left behind in their shadow's.

" Oh yes I'm sure." Sakura said with an almost breathless laugh. Naruto smiled wickedly.

" But I love him to." Sakura said softly. Sasuke's heart clenched. Naruto watched his old friend and huffed softly. He was pleased that he had seduced Sakura away from Sasuke, but sad that his friend was now alone. It was his own fault he supposed but now that he had gone and proved them wrong by coming back to them, he figured he had no choice but to now do something to make Sasuke happy.

" Hey Sakura, I think Sasuke-teme may be lonely what do you think?" Naruto asked changing the subject.

Sakura tilted her head slightly examining Sasuke. He shifted under her eyes.

" Your right. What do you think we should do? Find him someone the hard way?" Sakura asked curiously.

" No, I know Sasuke only likes one woman." Sakura tilted her head in confusion. Sasuke blushed under her curious gaze and Naruto's evil grin. He would kill him.

" Oh really? Then what do you suggest?" Sakura asked. Not even asking whom Sasuke liked. Kami was he that obvious?

" Well we_ are_ his teammates, and we _were_ paired in _three's_ after all." Sasuke made a face.

" Oh, a three-some?" Sakura asked curiously.

" _Exactly_." Naruto said nodding.

Sasuke's face burned in embarrassment.

" Shut up both of you. Perverted idiots." Sasuke said standing. Sakura and Naruto laughed together and he turned to leave but Sakura's hand caught his arm and Naruto's caught his other and they dragged him back into the room.

" We're kidding Sasuke." Sakura said with a smile. He blushed harder and scoffed. That smile was just so_ soft_. He liked it just a bit too much. His best friends wife, his best friend. She was off limits now he knew. He couldn't help but wonder though if this was what Naruto had felt like when they were younger and Sasuke had her under his thumb? Now that Naruto had her and she was out of Sasuke's reach is this feeling the same Naruto felt back then? If so, kami how could he have put up with it so long?

Naruto's eyes found his as they set him back to the couch and they sat across him. Naruto sat and Sakura sat on his lap, not from lack of space, but because Naruto pulled her down there. Wanting her close, as close as possible, wanting to touch her all he wanted, as if making up for the years he had never been allowed to, as Sasuke was making up for the long time he had been gone, and Sakura was making up for the time she had ignored Naruto's feelings, for his sake.

They were the weirdest bunch it seemed all of them having to make up for something or another because of the pain they caused the other, but at least they wanted to make up for it at all. It was at least a step closer.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

Kakashi closed his Icha Icha book and looked into the opened window at the three friends. He smirked under his mask.

All according to plan it seemed. At least their love triangle worked out for them, when it hadn't worked out for his own team. Kakashi remember being in Sasuke's place a long time ago when Rin had liked him and Obito had liked Rin. His team had remind him of his own place with his old teammates. He was glad that at least his students learned that lesson even if it was years, and years before they finally got it right. He was proud. He popped open his book again and closed his lone eye.

" Stupid sensei get in here." Sakura called from the opened window. Kakashi opened his eye in surprise. Sakura's mouth was curved into a sweet smile. He chuckled and leapt down to step inside and joined the three. It seems his own students had also been able to know him. Predicting his hiding spots and the such. Lesson learned he figured.

**End:**

**This turned out really weird. I went from Naruto as the lead here, to Sasuke and Kakashi. Darn it. At least I made a fic finally with Sakura in it but not being the lead ne? You're all so darn happy!**

**This seriously didn't turn out how I wanted and it went fast at the end, but I think I got the point across, also I added a little bonus there for the hecks of it at the end at the time skip lol. I really don't like NaruXSaku. I mean I like them, but not enough to write them as a couple with out a third like Sasuke involved, or something. I guess I'm always going to be a ItaXSaku fan at heart ne? Can't have her with anyone but Itachi and like it I guess. By the way your all likely wondering why Neji is in so much of my fic's involved in some way or another with Sakura ne? Well just because it's always fun to add Neji because I simply don't like him with Tenten and I like NejiXSakura and there aren't many good ones out there anymore that stick to the original story line. **

**Start rant:**

**I mean you have a NejiXSakura fic that's good don't get me wrong, but they they have to go and write it like Sakura had always liked Neji when she had never liked him before, or she's all like eh Sasuke sucks, I never liked him anyway, and we dang well know she loved Sasuke for how long? Thus if your going to write a fic at least make it some what go with the story and if your going to change things drastically like that either say so at the start or make it a AU ne?**

**End rant!~:**

**HA! that was refreshing. lol**

**Review and tell me how you liked it regardless of this turning out weird I did write it at least ne? XD**

**~~Kyo~~**


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